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  • Queensland ships most of world’s coking coal

    Paul Lucas, Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, said. He had appointed Stephen O’Donnell to undertake an independent review of the Goonyella coal supply chain. Queensland supplies almost 50 per cent of the world’s seaborne trade in coking coal and has invested strongly in improving the coal supply chain. In 2005-06, Queensland coal exports totalled 143 million tonnes, worth more than $17.8 billion. That is an increase of 55 per cent over the previous year. That figure is expected to increase again in 2006-07 to around 165 million tonnes.

    Erisk Net, 5/6/2007

  • Lawyers leap on global warming

    He points to other actions, including challenges to a windfarm in NSW and a Carlton United Beverages brewery in Sydney, as examples of the trend.

    Climate change lawsuits not only cost time and money by pushing out deadlines, but were soon likely to extend to actions seeking costs due to personal injury or economic loss, Mr Taberner said.

    Those risks could mount when firmer carbon emission caps were set by the federal Government, because firms would risk shareholder action if they failed to properly report on the gases they produce or the financial consequences of their carbon debt, he said.

    Freehills isn’t the only high street law firm focusing on the issue.

    Clayton Utz, Mallesons and others also have been bulking up their staffing on greenhouse advising.

    "The legal firms would just love a massive stoush on climate change — they would be able to get a lot of income," Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Mitch Hooke said.

    He said a better approach than becoming legal "punching bags" would be for companies to minimise their emissions, engage with their local communities and fully comply with the law.

    "I am highly sceptical of legal firms beating up the contingent liabilities of environmental externalities over and above the law," Mr Hooke said.

    Centennial Coal, for one, wants its case resolved quickly, given the costs associated with delays.

    "We have a state approval, we have a time frame in which we anticipate construction and production and we asked that (the case) be expedited on the basis there is a financial implication," said Katie Brassil, the company’s general manager of external affairs.

    Xstrata communications manager James Rickards said the company had hoped to move ahead with its Newlands Wollombi No2 project in the second half of the year.

    Because of this, he said, "we are very interested to see what this appeal has to say".

    "While it has at times delayed the process, we still remain confident the last positive ruling will enable us to begin a ramping-up of operations," he said of the court case.

    Queensland’s Land & Resources Tribunal had earlier dismissed an objection to the emissions-intensive project by the Queensland Conservation Council and recommended the mine be approved without any conditions regarding greenhouse gases.

    That decision was appealed by the environment group, with a decision following Thursday’s hearing yet to be handed down.

     

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  • Now God Goes Green

    The national body Catholic Religious Australia, representing 8500 members, planned to negotiate a bulk purchase of hybrid vehicles, reported The Sydney Morning Herald (22/7/2007, p.3).

    Purchasing-power significant: The price of hybrid cars – almost double that of a standard vehicle – had been the main stumbling block, said Sister Sharon Price, executive director of NSW Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, which put forward the plan for bulk purchase. "Leaders of religious congregations are asking themselves what they can do to promote action to address climate change." The orders believed their collective purchasing power would be even greater for solar hot water if panels are installed on the roofs of convents and all Catholic residential, aged-care homes and hospitals.

    Papal authority, too: They said that a shift to green technology was entirely consistent with the church’s ethos of lessening humankind’s impact on the earth. Recent popes had emphasised the earth and its resources were given for all humankind, including future generations. By making an ecological commitment, the orders wanted to encourage simple living and "invite many of our friends and the wider community to an ongoing sensitivity to the need for action to avoid future catastrophe".

    The Sydney Morning Herald, 27/7/2007, p. 3

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  • Green’s candidate on logging

    `At last something to be proud of. Last week Australia hosted an international conference to progress the plan to assist the poorer nations to phase out logging their native forests. Sir Nicholas Stern, in his landmark report, estimated that it would cost $15 billion every year to halve this deforestation and it is generally agreed that such extreme measures are necessary to slow down global warming. Australia has already pledged $200 million to this worthy cause.

    Shame about Tasmania. Shame that we don’t qualify as a poor nation. Both our government and opposition consider it is essential for our economic and employment interests to expand the woodchip industry from our own Tasmanian forests.

    ‘This is carbon trading gone mad.

    ‘Perhaps we could just put the $200 million dollars into our own little island, protect our own forests and reduce our own carbon emissions. On the other hand, that might upset vested interests, I mean, the economy.’

     

    by Giovanni Ebono, Letters, The Byron Shire Echo, 31 July 2007